Improvement in electroplated figures



W. E. WORTHEN & R; S. GILLESPIE.

Electroplated Figures, &c. No.168 442, PatentedOct. 5,1875.

bLPETERS. PHOTO'LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON D C.

UNITED STATESi;

PATIENT. OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. whereas AND RICHARD s. GILLESPIE, or NEW YORK, N, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTROPLA'TED FIGURES, &c.

4 Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 168,442, dated October 5, 1875; application filed February 19, 1875.

. CASE B.

To all whom it may concm'n:

Belt known that we, WILLIAM E. WORTHEN and RICHARD S.GILLEsP1E, both of the city, county, and State of New York, have inven ted certain new and usefulimprovements in electroplating-iron or composition ornaments or figures for architectural or domestic use, of which the following is a specification:

The followingis a description of what we consider the best means 'of carrying out ourinvention.

.'1 he usual cyanide process of electroplating articles of metal require; the surfaces to be first cleaned or brightened by chemical or meby carefully and evenly coating the object with a paint composed of either the sulphides or oxides of mercury, mixed with oil or some other water-proof vehicle, a conducting-sue face is obtained which is not acted upon by the acids of the electroplating-bath, and upon which the metal is deposited with greater rapidity and continuity than when prepared with anyother composition known to us.

The theory of its action is probably as follows: When an article is prepared with the above-described mercurial paint, preferably the red oxide, alone or mixed witht-he sulphide, then covered with plumbago, then placed in a' bath and connected with a battery, the electrical current sets free the me- Itallic mercury, which collects in numerous spots, which spots act as so many metallic conductors and adhesive connections. No such result can bc obtained from any other metallic oxide known to us; but this we do not claim. v

To further iacilitate the deposition, and to make the shell still more adherent, we insert into the metallic object small pieces of copper,

or of some other metal which is a good conductor of electricity, and not acted upon by acid solu' tions. Theprojectingportionsoftheseinserted pieces we amalgamate with mercury, connectmg as many of these as are required with the electrodes of the battery, which causes the de-. posited copper to adhere to them. When the article is finished the projecting plugs are cut oil even with the shell.

in some cases, when operating on metal, we slightly countersink before inserting the plugs,

and when the object is finished we cut them off, leaving snflicient to hammer up and fill the countersink, thus forming a rivet which assists in holding the shell in close contact.

In some cases we make a sufiicicntly'strong and very desirable core or body for our figures by pouring into a metallic mold, such as is used in the manufacture of the finest castings ofzinc, a hot mixture of a, good conductor of electricity, as coke, charcoal, or plumbago in a powdered state, united by a cementing material which is practically non-absorbent of water or solutions. ljromour experi ments we prefer, for cheapncss, strength, and conductibility, pulverized coke and asphalt.

These materials are mixed, while hot, in proportions somewhat dependent on the fineness of the coke-dust and sharpness required in the casting-y-Jhegreater the proportion ofthe coke with a free flow of the "mixture, the more the conduct-ibility of the surface of the-article under the process of electroplating. When the articles, are made of such plastic composition we cast in the mass copper wires, allowing the ends to project more or less eyond the surface. We prepare apd use hese wires. like the plugs or rivets before mentioned in figures of metal.

In preparing the articles for the bath we at first coat only the re-entering angles or the recessed surfaces with plumhago, thus making only those portions highly conductive, and

by this means securing first a deposit on those places most ditficult to cover. We afterward plumhago another portion, and so on. When the pieces are large we make at first only a partial immersion, and then gradually increase it, moving up the electrodes as we proceed, by changing the connecting-wires from given plugs or attachments to others higher up. "43 do this because it is ditlicult, with a moderate battery, to secure a uniform deposit over a large surface. When we cover a large piece which is already erected--as, for instance, a fountainwe inclose it in a suitable tank and gradually allow the solution tov rise, at the same time moving up the battery and electrodes.

The shell deposited isthicker than that of the usual cyanide process, ours being usually about one-fiftieth to one-thirty-second of an inch thick. It can be made much heavier on some subjects, care being taken not to destroy theartistic expres'sionot' the figure. The deposit is firm and glove-like in its close fit upon the castin The withiadescribed casting covered with an electrotype-shell, and the process of .forming electrotype figures by plating upon such casting, which latter has a wooden plug inserted in it, are made the subject of another application filed by us February 20, 1875.

The accompanying drawings i'orm part of this specification, similar letters in each being employed to designate corresponding parts.

Figure l is a perspective view, representing a means of carrying out the invention. Fig. 2 is a section through a figure of composition, showing'both the cathode-wires through' the same, and the rivets or plugs. In practice we rarely apply both to the same figure. The

2 teaser: I

rivets are only useful on metallic articles, ex cept in rareinstances. Fig. Sis a magnified section of an electroplated metal surface,

showing the plug hammered down to serve as a rivet.

A is the core or body; Bis the'bath; O G are inside batteries; 1 is a pulley; K is a rope; L, rings attached thereon; M, a book. a. is the paint; I), the plugs or rivets; c, the plumbago;f, the plating; is, cathode-wires.

The amalgamation of the wires is important to secure a perfect adhesion or soldering of the eleotroplate to the wires or plugs.

We claim as our invention-- 1. The plugs or rivets I) b, amalgamated to secure an adhesion or soldering of .theelectroplating to the same, in combination with the electrotype-shell fend body A, as and for purposes specified.

2. The cathode-Wires k k, extending through the body A, to both increase the conduction of electricity and strength of the figure, in combination with the electrotype-shell f and said body A, as specified.

in testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 2d day of February, 1875, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM E. won'rnnn. nroaaen s. -CIL-LESP1E.

Witnesses:

EUGENE LEBEUF, JEAN Barrrsrn Manem. 

